Infamous Filmores Hotel Purchased by Toronto Developer in $31.5M Deal

Strip clubs were once a booming industry in Toronto, but more and more big-name developers continue to purchase the ageing and dated structures to swap them out for new projects.

This appears to be the case for Filmores Hotel, the infamous downtown structure known for its cheap rooms and flashy, downstairs strip club, making it a popular choice for bachelor nights and private parties.

Earlier this month, the property that houses Filmores Hotel, which is located at 212 Dundas Street East, just steps away from the neon lights of Yonge-Dundas Square, was purchased by Menkes Development for $31.5 million, as first reported by the Toronto Star.

The building itself dates back to the early 1900s but has been a family-run hotel since the late 1970s.

As new development projects and rezonings continue to reshape the city, we have seen countless historic buildings and cultural institutions, which often includes dive bars and strip clubs, demolished to make way for new projects.

So while the fate of Filmores Hotel remains unclear, perhaps we’ll see the developers follow in the footsteps of Jilly’s, the iconic strip club originally housed in a Romanesque red brick building in Riverdale, that when purchased, made way for the hip and trendy Broadview Hotel.

Toronto Storeys reached out to Menkes for comment but had not heard back by the time of publication.